Distributed interactive multimedia system architecture

• US 6,304,576 B1
• Filed: 09/30/1998
• Issued: 10/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pearce, Christopher E., McClung, Michael H., Corley, Robert David, Platt, Richard B., Hahn, Paul S., Dunlap, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): TON, DANG T
• Application Number:
  US09/164,503
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: 370/254, 370/401, 370/496, 370/522, 370/216, 370/217, 370/219, 370/220, 370/226, 370/227, 370/228, 370/247, 370/248, 370/251, 370/256, 370/257, 370/351, 370/400, 370/406, 370/408, 370/431, 370/908, 370/901, 340/225.02, 340/825.5, 340/825.51, 348/15, 348/16, 348/338, 379/202
• US Class Current: 370/408
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5615 Network termination, e.g. NT1, NT2, PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5663 Support of N-ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

Various aspects of an interactive multimedia system and associated methods. In general, the multimedia system employs central and peripheral hubs that function to provide services to a plurality of clients of a call manager server, or manager subsystem. The hubs and subsystem cooperate to serve requests originating in the plurality of clients. The client-server-client architecture allows for distributed processing and resource management. Redundant connections between the various network subsystems and hubs provide survivability. Each subsystem or hub is provided with the ability to initialize or recover from systemic errors, thereby distributing initialization and recovery. Certain of the distributed resources are capable of being managed from other subsystems, thereby allowing sharing of the resources. An open numbering plan allows efficient call treatment of dialed numbers. Call processing is sharable between multiple manager subsystems. Finally, an iterative process is employed to ensure that calls routed through the network travel the shortest possible path.

Claims

1. A communications network, comprising:

first and second client subsystems;

a server subsystem having transport resources associated therewith;

a first signalling channel coupling said first client subsystem to said server subsystem and a second signalling channel coupling said second client subsystem to said server subsystem, said first signalling channel allowing said first client subsystem to generate a request to said server subsystem for access to said transport resources of said server subsystem, said server subsystem granting said request only when said transport resources are available, said server subsystem capable of employing said transport resources to initiate a call between said first and second client subsystems; and

an isochronous user information path capable of being coupled between said first and second client subsystems to convey said call between said first and second client subsystems.

2. The communications network as recited in claim 1 further comprising a hub having isochronous switching resources associated therewith, said isochronous switching resources capable of coupling said user information path between said first and second client subsystems, said server subsystem generating a request to said hub for access to said isochronous switching resource of said hub, said hub granting said request only when said isochronous switching resources are available.

3. The communications network as recited in claim 1 wherein said isochronous user information path is adapted to carry multimedia information.

4. The communications network as recited in claim 1 wherein said second signalling channel passes through a second server subsystem associated with said second client subsystem.

5. The communications network as recited in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of hubs coupled to said server subsystem, each of said plurality of hubs having control of associated resources within said each of said plurality of hubs, said server subsystem capable of generating a request to a selected one of said plurality of hubs for access to said resources associated with said selected one.

6. The communications network as recited in claim 1 wherein said first client subsystem is capable of initiating a multimedia call through said communications network.

7. The communications network as recited in claim 1 wherein said server subsystem comprises a sequence of instructions executable in a general purpose computer system.

8. The communications network as recited in claim 1 wherein said server subsystem further has feature services resources associated therewith, said feature services resources selected from the group consisting of:

transfer,

conference,

hold,

drop,

record/playback, and

numbering plan database.

9. The communications network as recited in claim 1 wherein said server subsystem further has connectivity services resources associated therewith, said connectivity services resources selected from the group consisting of:

point-to-point,

point-to-multipoint, and

multipoint-to-multipoint.

10. The communications network as recited in claim 1 wherein said server subsystem further has media services resources associated therewith, said media services resources selected from the group consisting of:

video encode/decode,

video record/playback,

voice encode/decode,

voice record/playback,

speech detection, and

data encode/decode.

11. A method of establishing a call in a communications network, comprising the steps of:

generating a request from a first client subsystem to a server subsystem along a first signalling channel coupling said first client subsystem to said server subsystem and allowing said first client subsystem access to transport resources associated with said server subsystem, said server subsystem granting said request only when said transport resources are available, said server subsystem capable of employing said transport resources to initiate a call between said first client subsystem and a second client subsystems coupled to said server subsystem by a second signalling channel; and

coupling an isochronous user information path between said first and second client subsystems to convey said call between said first and second client subsystems.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising a hub having isochronous switching resources associated therewith, said method further comprising the step of coupling said user information path between said first and second client subsystems with said isochronous switching resources, said server subsystem generating a request to said hub for access to said isochronous switching resource of said hub, said hub granting said request only when said isochronous switching resources are available.

13. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising the step of carrying multimedia information over said isochronous user information path.

14. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said second signalling channel passes through a second server subsystem associated with said second client subsystem.

15. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising a plurality of hubs coupled to said server subsystem, each of said hubs having control of associated resources within said hubs, said method further comprising the step of generating a request from said server subsystem to a selected one of said hubs for access to said resources associated with said hub.

16. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising the step of initiating a multimedia call through said communications network with said first client subsystem.

17. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said method is performed, in part, by executing a sequence of instructions in a general purpose computer system.

18. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said server subsystem further has feature services resources associated therewith, said method further comprising the step of accessing said feature services resources selected from the group consisting of:

transfer,

conference,

hold,

drop,

record/playback, and

numbering plan database.

19. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said server subsystem further has connectivity services resources associated therewith, said method further comprising the step of accessing said connectivity services resources selected from the group consisting of:

point-to-point,

point-to-multipoint, and

multipoint-to-multipoint.

20. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said server subsystem further has media services resources associated therewith, said method further comprising the step of accessing said media services resources selected from the group consisting of:

video encode/decode,

video record/playback,

voice encode/decode,

voice record/playback,

speech detection, and

data encode/decode.

21. A communications network, comprising:

a first subsystem capable of generating a request to access resources associated with another subsystem coupled thereto; and

a second subsystem having exclusive and shared resources associated therewith, said second system capable of (a) receiving said request from said first subsystem, (b) granting said request only when said exclusive resources are available if said request involves access to said exclusive resources and (c) allowing said first subsystem to share control of said shared resources with said second subsystem if said request involves access to said shared resources.

22. The communications network as recited in claim 21 wherein said first subsystem is a client device and said second subsystem is a hub of said network.

23. The communications network as recited in claim 21 wherein said first subsystem is a hub and said second subsystem is a manager subsystem of said network.

24. The communications network as recited in claim 21 wherein said first subsystem is capable of initiating an allocation of said shared resources to a particular task, said shared resources remaining allocated to said particular task if said first subsystem relinquishes control of said shared resources.

25. The communications network as recited in claim 21 further comprising a manager subsystem, a central hub and a plurality of peripheral hubs, selected ones of which containing said exclusive and shared resources.

26. The communications network as recited in claim 21 wherein said second subsystem has isochronous switching resources associated therewith, said second subsystem capable of coupling a user information path between first and second client devices with said isochronous switching resources.

27. The communications network as recited in claim 21 further comprising an isochronous user information path coupled to said first subsystem, said isochronous user information path adapted to carry multimedia information.

28. The communications network as recited in claim 21 wherein said second subsystem further has feature services resources associated therewith, said feature services resources selected from the group consisting of:

transfer,

conference,

hold,

drop,

record/playback, and

numbering plan database.

29. The communications network as recited in claim 21 wherein said second subsystem further has connectivity services resources associated therewith, said connectivity services resources selected from the group consisting of:

point-to-point,

point-to-multipoint, and

multipoint-to-multipoint.

30. The communications network as recited in claim 21 wherein said first subsystem further has media services resources associated therewith, said media services resources selected from the group consisting of:

video encode/decode,

video record/playback,

voice encode/decode,

voice record/playback,

speech detection, and

data encode/decode.

31. A method of sharing resources in a communications network, comprising the steps of:

generating, with a first subsystem, a request to access resources associated with another subsystem coupled thereto; and

receiving said request from said first subsystem into a second subsystem having exclusive and shared resources associated therewith, said second system capable of (a) granting said request only when said exclusive resources are available if said request involves access to said exclusive resources and (b) allowing said first subsystem to share control of said shared resources with said second subsystem if said request involves access to said shared resources.

32. The method as recited in claim 31 wherein said first subsystem is a client device and said second subsystem is a hub of said network.

33. The method as recited in claim 31 wherein said first subsystem is a hub and said second subsystem is a manager subsystem of said network.

34. The method as recited in claim 31 further comprising the step of initiating, with said first subsystem, an allocation of said shared resources to a particular task, said shared resources remaining allocated to said particular task if said first subsystem relinquishes control of said shared resources.

35. The method as recited in claim 31 further comprising a manager subsystem, a central hub and a plurality of peripheral hubs, selected ones of which contain said exclusive and shared resources.

36. The method as recited in claim 31 wherein said second subsystem has isochronous switching resources associated therewith, said method further comprising the step of coupling, with said second subsystem, a user information path between first and second client devices with said isochronous switching resources.

37. The method as recited in claim 31 further comprising an isochronous user information path coupled to said first subsystem, said method further comprising the step of carrying multimedia information over said isochronous user information path.

38. The method as recited in claim 31 wherein said second subsystem further has feature services resources associated therewith, said method further comprising the step of accessing said feature services resources selected from the group consisting of:

transfer,

conference,

hold,

drop,

record/playback, and

numbering plan database.

39. The method as recited in claim 31 wherein said second subsystem further has connectivity services resources associated therewith, said method further comprising the step of accessing said connectivity services resources selected from the group consisting of:

point-to-point,

point-to-multipoint, and

multipoint-to-multipoint.

40. The method as recited in claim 31 wherein said first subsystem further has media services resources associated therewith, said method further comprising the step of accessing said media services resources selected from the group consisting of:

video encode/decode,

video record/playback,

voice encode/decode,

voice record/playback,

speech detection, and

data encode/decode.

41. A communications system comprising:

a calling device capable of generating a dialed number representing a device to be called; and

a subsystem coupled to said calling device and containing a list of dialing patterns and corresponding call treatments arranged in a predetermined order, wherein a dialing pattern of said list of dialing patterns comprises matching symbols selected from the group consisting of;

matching symbols that match a specific dialed digit, matching symbols that match exactly one of a set of dialed digits, and matching symbols that match any quantity of any dialed digits;

said subsystem capable of (a) receiving said dialed number from said calling device, (b) comparing said dialed number to each of said dialing patterns in order and, (c) if said dialed number matches a particular dialing pattern, applying a particular corresponding call treatment in response to receipt of said dialed number.

42. A communications system comprising:

a calling device capable of generating a dialed number representing a device to be called; and

a subsystem coupled to said calling device and containing a list of dialing patterns and corresponding call treatments arranged in a predetermined order, said subsystem capable of (a) receive said dialed number from said calling device, (b) comparing said dialed number to each of said dialing patterns in order and, (c) if said dialed number matches a particular dialing pattern, applying a particular corresponding call treatment in response to receipt of said dialed number, wherein said call treatment is selected from the group consisting of;

a dial call treatment indicating that a call represented by said dialed number should be extended to said device to be called, a block call treatment indicating that said call should be rejected, and a wait call treatment indicating that said calling device should generate further digits before recomparing said dialed number, including said further digits, with said each of said dialing patterns in order.

43. A method of parsing a dialed number generated from a calling device and representing a device to be called, comprising the steps of:

receiving said dialed number from said calling device into a subsystem that contains a list of dialing patterns and corresponding call treatments arranged in a predetermined order, wherein a dialing pattern of said list of dialing patterns comprises matching symbols selected from the group consisting of;

matching symbols that match a specific dialed digit, matching symbols that match exactly one of a set of dialed digits, and matching symbols that match any quantity of any dialed digits;

comparing said dialed number to each of said dialing patterns in order; and

if said dialed number matches a particular dialing pattern, applying a particular corresponding call treatment in response to receipt of said dialed number.

44. A method of parsing a dialed number generated from a calling device and representing a device to be called, comprising the steps of:

receiving said dialed number from said calling device into a subsystem that contains a list of dialing patterns and corresponding call treatments arranged in a predetermined order;

comparing said dialed number to each of said dialing patterns in order; and

if said dialed number matches a particular dialing pattern, applying a particular corresponding call treatment in response to receipt of said dialed numbers wherein said call treatment is selected from the group consisting of;

a dial call treatment indicating that a call represented by said dialed number should be extended to said device to be called, a block call treatment indicating that said call should be rejected, and a wait call treatment indicating that said calling device should generate further digits before recomparing said dialed number, including said further digits, with said each of said dialing patterns in order.